The Big Question
Questions I get from consultants. And my answers.
Question #7: I received this question from a reader (thanks!):
'How can I best explain (or 'promote') my consulting expertise to my prospects or market?'
1. The 'credence principle'
Consulting is a credence business: prospects need to find (Google!), like and trust us before buying.
I keep repeating: marketing in consultancy is NOT about sales. Marketing isn’t about pushing a product or service. Instead, marketing is about sharing your knowledge and providing authentic value to your clients (trust-building).
That's why content-driven visibility is the only thing that is going to make you stand out in a crowded and very competitive consulting world. The more you open up, the more your clients and prospects can relate to you as a consultant.
Related content: Doing 'Sales' in consulting is not always easy (my LinkedIn post)
2. Focus, focus, focus
I could write pages about the topic of focus but here's the essence: to better connect with your clients (both off- and online), you have to niche down and demonstrate that you’re an expert in a single, narrow area.
Consulting clients are searching for subject matter experts and trusted advisors to help solve their problems. Clients have more options today than ever before - there are more consultants and experts and advisors than ever in the past and buyers can find anything in seconds. Your competitor is only 1 click away!
The world's biggest authorities relentlessly say ‘No’ to protect and maintain their narrow positioning.
Related content: Why you should learn to say NO to grow your consulting business
3. Your unique story is your starting point
Your consulting expertise is probably not truly exceptional but YOU certainly are. Keep your audience at the forefront of your mind and your goals, and use your unique story to show them how they can implement what YOU have learned to achieve similar results. That's what I did all those years.
Related content: Consultants, unlock the teacher in you (my LinkedIn post)
4. You need a crystal clear elevator pitch (EP)
Imagine you are at a conference and a prospect asks you what you do. I bet that 98% of all consultants would give a poor and foggy answer. In 30 seconds, you should be able to provide a crystal clear pitch about who you are, who your clients are, what your problem solving expertise is and how you solve those client problems. If you can't, you will dramatically dilute your reputation.
Here's my own EP: How good is your public profile as a consultant?
5. You need a compelling point of view (POV)
It's not enough to have an elevator pitch, prospects also want to understand how you perceive current trends and how they might be causing the challenges clients will be facing tomorrow.
Here's my current POV (on my home page): "As consultants, we need to stand out! We need to consistently win profitable clients that value our expertise. Referrals work, but the pipeline doesn’t feel as reliable as it once did. The market has shifted.
In a world where professional services buyers act like consumers and can find anything in seconds, whether searching for a new pair of shoes or for an expert to solve their business problem, how the heck will we stand out in a very competitive, crowded consulting market? Your competitor is only 1 click away!"
6. Explain your 'Driver of Transformation' (DOT)
The DOT approach is an important way of thinking about your consulting offering as a catalyst for change or transformation. The DOT approach focusses on moving the client from point A (problem state) to point B (problem solved) and explains your specific Driver/Vehicle (your 'secret sauce') of transformation. In your DOT, you need to explain the future state of your client, not your product or service. With your DOT, you provoke or inspire 'The Promised Land' in a credible way.
7. Your social proof
Last but not least you present evidence that you can make the story come true. I always did this with a double approach:
1) writing case studies (success stories) about how I've helped other clients (similar to the prospect) achieving 'The Promised Land', and/or...
2) pain resolution recommendations from clients, explaining how I had helped them to achieve 'The Promised Land' (and not just commenting: he/she is a nice person to work with).
Conclusion
Many consultants struggle to translate their expertise into an easy-to-understand, credible message. Unfortunately, without a clear message, a consultant can never get the right connection with their target clients, leading to poor relevance and visibility in Google on top.
Clients are searching for subject matter experts and trusted advisors to help solve their problems. And those clients have more options today than ever before - there are more consultants and experts and advisors than there ever have been in the past and buyers can find anything in seconds.
David C. Baker (see my book summary): "If you don't know what to say, you aren't an expert. If you don't know how to say it, you haven't practiced enough. If you find too many audiences when directing your writing, you haven't focused enough".
An interesting question for the next edition: I received this question from a reader (thanks!):
'How can I save time as a consultant to re-invest in building my visibility?'
Would you like to send a question for one of the following newsletter editions? Please send it to me here.
